GREY LYNN COUNCIL: ITS TREATMENT OF THE BOROUGH WORKMEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12480, 26 January 1904, Page 7

GREY LYNN COUNCIL: ITS TREATMENT OF THE BOROUGH WORKMEN.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, Grey Lynn's new council, containing Bight former members, some- weeks ago resolved upon retrenchment of the outdoor working staff, upon the dual ground of shortness of cash and absence of urgent work. (N.B.— There- is at least .six weeks' tarring and sanding work urgently necessary.) The staff consisted of Foreman Fcnton and five roadmen and a carter. The first, act of retrenchment was tho appointment a month ago of a clerk ot work on the park syndicates roads (private) contract at a salary of lOr, pet day, to be paid out of our rates. No applications were invited for that important position, a Mr. Sadgrove. being put into the. billet very quietly. This gentleman was ono of tho right colour, having, the night before the recent election, moved a vote of confidence- in tho Mayor ami eight of the present councillors. Two weeks later friend Sadgrovo became borough working foreman at 10s per day (hours, eight a.m. to five p.m.), Foreman Fonton being, without notice, deposed from that position. For 14 years Fonton has well and faithfully served the borough. livery council during that period has testified by recorded resolutions to tho whole-hearted and successful manner in which he performed the whole of the duties of his multifarious offices. I (is salary was Gs a day. Wo have, therefore, now two men (Sadgrove and Fenton) at a cost of 19s a day doing the work Fcnton has done for years at 9s a day ! Step No. 2 in retrenchment has been the public dismissal a week ago of three of the five road workmen. Their length of service is something like five years. They were borough payers, tome of them men of family. A day or two later two new hands were taken on (one a well-known canvasser for the progressives," the other neither a borough ratepayer nor a borough resident). Yet the three dismissed workmen, men of experience and long years of service, are turned off upon the absurd pretext that funds are scanty and work non est, and their places filled by men inexperienced in our borough work, yet at the game wage.—l am, etc., J. R. Lu.nhon. High-street, Auckland. January 20, 1904. A CHALLENGE TO MR. IIOBBS. TO Tim KDITOU. ■ Sir.—ln the speech which he read at the Board of Education yesterday, reported verbatim in your issue of to-day, Mr. Hobbs stated that the action of the Board in dismissing the headmaster at Mount Roskill "was in accordance with the wish of the District School Committee, and a large number of parents had recorded, in writing, their approval."' Without beating abou f the bush, I have no hesitation in characterising these statements as without foundation, and will forward a couple of guineas to any charily Mr. Hobbs likes to name if he can show the "recorded, written approval," of any parent in this district, of the Board's action, much less that of a "large number." The notion of the Board has been questionable enough, but that its chairman should indulge in misstatements of this sort is beyond comment. Will Mr. Hobbs accept the challenge?—l am, »tc., IP. G. Andrew. January 21. 1904.